Almost
by Hachi Kito
Summary: In which Waya denies jealousy and melts with walls, Isumi pacifies and feels embarassed and Kuwabara dishes out revenge, all in the comforts of an elevator.


Enjoy

**Almost**

Waya isn't jealous. Not of Shindou and definitely not of Touya.

But damnit, whenever those two fling their go-based-near-relationship after games ("Touya let's go get some ramen! Ramen. Ramen!" "Lie." "Touya!") right in his face, he just can't help but helplessly feel his heartbeat increase to immeasurable levels and feel his blood boil waaaay beyond the limited 100 degrees Celsius. Waya is not jealous! Damnit!

It was unfair. Unfair, unfair, unfair, unfair…

Waya sighed and cast a glance at Isumi who was tying his shoes. Shindou had already kidnapped Touya for ramen, not something Waya should be jealous about cuz Shindou's a nasty stingy prick who never picks up the bill, believing in the Dutch treat… Not that that works out, since Shindou usually leaves not even half of his share on the table.

Waya shrugged in frustration, and his head was apparently steaming cuz the next thing he felt was cold water being thrown in his face. Isumi was standing a few feet from him, holding a water bottle and wearing an apologetic smile, that looked more like a near frown. "Sorry, but Waya-san, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm like sooo fine" Waya grumbled under his breath, "Let's go, before the bus leaves."

They stepped into the elevator together, just as the doors were closing, an old hand stopped their departure. Kuwabara entered the scene, cryptic smile in place and eyes settled on Waya as if he were minced meat. Waya shuffled on his feet under the pretext to make some room for the old man, though it was mostly to hide behind Isumi. Kuwabara's sneer widened, if that was possible.

"One cannot expect to pass stages in the game of go without fighting the necessary battles on the goban," Kuwabara's voice rang, cracked but clear though the elevator. Waya started to feel claustrophobic and pressed himself some more into the corner behind Isumi.

"You youngsters see talent around you so much you forget your own."

At this Isumi cast Waya a questioning gaze, Waya shrugged back at him and avoided looking at Kuwabara. If this wasn't a pep-talk then he didn't know what was, either that or Morishita-sensei needed some more practise.

"With patience, hard work and dedication you will reach your best hand in time. Baby-steps, boys, baby-steps."

"Are… are you saying I'm gonna beat Touya one day?" Waya asked against better judgement, looking Kuwabara in the face for the first time since the old man had stepped into the elevator.

Kuwabara cackled and turned his all-seeing eye on Waya, efficiently nailing him to the wall, "Of course not boy, you, you need decades of professional help. Knowing how to lay a go-stone is no indication that you know how to play the game."

Waya looked crestfallen for a minute, but then decided Kuwabara with his infinite years of bothering other people wasn't worth it and looked him hard in the face, "Now what's that supposed to mean old ma-" Isumi elbowed him in the gut and Waya corrected himself, although with a frown thrown at Isumi who was looking at the floor pretending not to know him, "Kuwabara-sensei," Waya finished somewhat lamely.

Kuwabara responded to the challenge, being used to Ogata's various advances and answered: "I'm very sorry if you misunderstood, boy, I was talking about the fact that your hidden talent may not lie in go and you ought to just give up now before you embarrass yourself any further."

Ok, that was definitely _not_ a pep-talk. Perhaps Morishita-sensei wasn't so bad after all. Waya fumed for a second and was just about to retort when Kuwabara interrupted him.

"Either that or your hidden talent is and will remain so; hidden," Kuwabara cackled again. The only response to that being the 'ping' signalling the elevator had reached its destination.

"Have a nice day," Kuwabara cast one last glance at the fuming Waya, gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder (being surprisingly persistent about it, since Waya tried to let himself be absorbed by the wall to avoid the unnecessary contact) and hobbled off down the lobby whistling under his breath.

Isumi bowed at the retreating old man and Waya detached himself from the wall.

"Have a nice day, he says, can you believe it?" Waya proclaimed with suppressed rage.

"Well, Waya-san, perhaps you shouldn't have vendetta-ed him out of the Youth League Commission on account of his old age."

"Isumi for real, that was all Ogata's fault."

The elevator doors closed.

No, Waya was not jealous, but sometimes he simply wished the world would back off for a minute and let him gather his thoughts in peace. Either that, or Ogata should leave him the hell alone and far far away from his business. Because when one thought about it, Touya had ignored Shindou for years, and now all of the sudden they were buddy-buddy whilst Waya, Shindou's supposedly best go-based friend, was left riding elevators with a vengeful Kuwabara and an embarrassed Isumi.

8

Notes:

Youth League Commission, let's all just conveniently pretend that exist in the world of HnG.


End file.
